November 2025 in Arizona: Part 1

We’re back in Arizona for the winter. This post will describe our trip down, some hikes and a bike ride and will include some of our favourite scenery photos from November.

Here’s a view of Fisher Peak, Cranbrook, BC’s local landmark, taken just outside town. At this point we were about fifteen minutes into our over 2400 kilometre (1500 mile) journey. We had a good weather forecast, only picking up some rain showers for a few hours through northern Montana. We spent the first night in Missoula in our Redwood fifth wheel trailer, our home for the next five months.

We crossed into Utah in the afternoon of the next day. We had made good time with favourable driving conditions through Monida Pass and Idaho. That night we stayed at the KOA in Brigham City/Perry Utah.

We spent the third night in Mesquite, Nevada. Here’s the view of the Redwood in the early morning of the next day as we’re getting ready to leave for the final push to Tucson, Arizona.

This spectacular sunrise was taken through the truck’s side window about 25 minutes later.

We got to our place in Picture Rocks, near Saguaro National Park around four in the afternoon on November 15, just it began to rain lightly. Luckily it didn’t last long, because at this point we still had about an hour of set-up (unhook the trailer and back up the truck, level the trailer, put the wheel covers on, put out the slides, hook up the water and electricity.) We had time to get out the BBQ so we could enjoy a steak dinner and celebrate our journey of over 24 hours of driving.

The next week we went birding and also to the Desert Museum, which will be described in the November 2025 in Arizona : Part 2.

Our first hike was the next Saturday to King’s Canyon in Saguaro National Park (West). The trailhead is about a twenty minute drive from our place. We always stop near the top of the canyon (just below the filled in dam) to look at the petroglyphs on the canyon walls.

It’s easier to see the petroglyphs with the zoom feature on the cell phone camera.

We hiked out of the canyon and over to the Gould Mine trail so we could make a loop back to the trailhead. Along the rocky trail that used to be a mine road, we noticed this tiny pink flower. It’s known as Allionia Incarnata and is actually three flowers that grow to look like one. The three sections together are smaller than a dime. It was growing in a hollow in the shade of a large rock.

Here’s the view looking west towards the Avra Valley and the mountains beyond. The clouds were the precursor to the coming rain. This photo was taken close to the trailhead which we reached about 11, giving us plenty of time to get home before the rain. Light rain started by 1:30 and continued for most of the afternoon. It progressed to full on thunderstorms in the late afternoon and throughout the night, which was an experience in itself.

A couple of days later, we did another short hike in Saguaro National Park. We made a loop by starting at the “Scenic Trail” near the Continental Reserve community in Marana. This is the same trail that we use as an approach to Safford Peak (aka Sombrero Peak). The peak is visible in the background in the photo below.

The trail is well marked although fairly rocky in sections. At the top of the pass, we met some hikers who had come up from Sanctuary Cove and they let us know that the trail was open. So we continued down and were greeted by a welcome sign at the property boundary, rather than the previous barbed wire fence. It made for an enjoyable two hour loop hike.

We got out on our bikes once in November, and chose a paved section of “The Loop” to gain some fitness before we tackle the desert. We rode on a new connector between the bike paths in Marana and the older paths that circle Tucson. The path crosses right through a mine site, under Avra Valley Rd and onto a bridge bike lane.

Here’s the view as we rode back past El Rio Preserve. Marana Parks has drained the pond and is working on strategies to reduce or eliminate the cattail growth. When they refill the pond, it will be a great birding location.

On the day after the US Thanksgiving, we enjoyed an outdoor wine tasting social hosted by some Tucson friends. Every wine was a blend that included Cabernet Sauvignon and we were challenged to try to figure out which varietal was included. Deciding on the blend wasn’t easy, but we tasted some interesting wines and discovered a few new favourites.

The next day dawned clear with no wind, so after a leisurely breakfast we decided to hike right from the house and head up to Panther Peak. We try to climb it at least once a season. Doug loves taking a photo from this same spot that shows to trail down to the wash, and Panther Peak on the far left, so if you have been reading our blog for a few years, this view may seem familiar.

Here’s a photo showing the upper section of the gulley on the approach to Panther Peak. We were surprised by how much bufflegrass has grown in this area in recent years. Bufflegrass is an invasive grass which increases the danger of wildfires spreading and affecting the native saguaro cacti. We had lunch at the summit and made our way back to the trailer by early afternoon.

Here’s a few favourite local desert scenes to finish the blog. Notice the hug arm that has fallen off the saguaro in the photo below. There were strong winds in the summer when it likely occurred. The saguaro will probably be fine.

Here’s another interesting saguaro with the top of Panther Peak just to its left.

Here’s our favourite sunset of the month taken on the US Thanksgiving. We celebrate Thanksgiving twice, once hosting a turkey dinner with friends at home in BC in October and again with a Cornish Game Hen here in Arizona. We thankful to be able to experience both.

Part 2 of November 2025 in Arizona will include our birding adventures and more flowers and will be posted soon.